Just Like A Leaf on The Breeze
by abcalfs
Summary: Shinichi still can't forgive himself for the incident three years ago. And Ran's guilty will forever remain. "After all, people say love is blind, ne?" Still... It hurts too much to just look him in the eyes.


Disclaimer : Can I have my own Kaito at home? Or Shinichi? That would be more than enough though hehehe. Surely, I don't own DC/MK.

**Just like A Leaf on The Breeze**

_People say love is blind_

_But I can still see you_

_Though my eyes' closed_

_That only darkness surrounding me_

_Even if I lost my sight_

_I can picture your face _

_Perfectly_

_In my mind _

_So please_

_Don't let me forget_

He stands beside a white car that parked in front of the mansion gate, tapping his fingers on a cane in his left hand, waiting patiently for his two friends to come out the house. The evening breeze flows by and blows his dark unruly hair, making the leaves fly up to the air around him. He could have gotten something in his eyes if it isn't for the dark glasses he's wearing. The wind blows again and shivers him a little that he tightens the grey shawl around his neck. He unintentionally let out a chuckle when a leaf falls down to his face, barely touches his nose. A hand reaches up to pick it. He rubs it with his fingers, trying to see its shape and color in his mind. A smile slowly grows on his face.

"I'm sorry. Have you waited long?"

He hears someone asks in a feminine voice and he quickly recognizes it as Ran's. Sensing a smile on her face, he turns to left, facing the new presence and gives her a smile of his own. "Not really."

The gate closed behind them, followed by a new person join him and Ran. Shinichi greets him shortly. His arm quickly finds its way to Ran's waist. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Nah, it's alright."

The latter signals Ran to get on the car. He turns to him, hands touching his shoulder and slightly pushes him inside the car, leading him to the backseat.

"I can do it myself. I'm not that hopeless 'kay." Shinichi only smiles as he gives him his cane. "But I want to help you for once."

"But you always help me," he pouts.

Shinichi takes the wheel, with Ran sitting beside him on the passenger seat while he himself sits on the back.

"Arigatou, Kudo," he says softly.

The machine starts. Shinichi's white car takes off the road.

"It's my pleasure, Kuroba."

He doesn't let go of the leaf.

Kaito touches his right coat pocket, making sure the rose is still there. He only brings once tonight, just like every other night every time he goes to the clock tower nowadays-or should he says, years. Shinichi has insisted to go with him every time he goes there. And tonight Ran's coming too. Although he prefers going alone, he can't blame others for worrying about him. Who isn't worried for blind people after all?

Shinichi turns the wheel and Kaito can only guess where they might be at the moment. He senses Ran's gaze on him for the umpteenth time since the moment she saw him that day. He also knows the guilty look on her face every time Ran sees him. And he merely smiles at her, assuring that it is alright and everything will be fine. Still, he is aware that the guilt will forever remain.

A cheer sound outside the car turns his attention. Snows, he hears them says. 'No can't be. It's the beginning of November, why would snow fall on autumn?' he thinks. 'But then again, there was snowfall back then on autumn in High School...'

"Ah, the weather news's right," Ran suddenly says, with an amused tone in her voice. It says there will be snowfall tonight because of the unbalance of the seasons." With that, a smile tugs at the corner of his lips. "Sou ka..."

The sound of the clock chiming eight times in a row fills up the air. Oh, how Kaito misses that chiming sound...

Shinichi turns the wheel to left, where the tower stands still for maybe almost a hundred year already. He parks the car where he always does every time he accompanies Kuroba to go here, in the side of the road, about several meters from one particular spot just in front of the old building. He stops the machine, then an odd sound of silence surrounding them.

The detective takes a glance from the windshield to his behind. "Kuroba... We're here."

Kaito seems like taken aback from his sudden state as he jumps slightly from the seat. "A-are we? ... Well, thanks, Kudo. I'll be back." Kaito states before he slides out the car. Shinichi sits still for a moment before he decides to go after Kaito when Ran suddenly catches his wrist.

"Ran-"

"At least put this on. The snows start to fall harder." Says Ran softly, a sad smile forming on her lips. Shinichi stares down at the dark cap in her hand; he takes it and puts it on his head.

"S-Shinichi." Ran calls out just before he steps out the car. Shinichi glances back. "Just... make sure he'll come back."

He nods and gives her a reassuring smile, sensing her worries. "I'll be back soon."

The detective runs after the figure in dark blue coat. It is not that hard to find him- Actually, Shinichi knows exactly where to find Kaito. And right he is, he spots the man standing alone not too far from him, at the exact same spot where Shinichi remembers Kaito once mentioned about the place where he met a certain girl. Snowfall drops on his hair and clothes. The now retired thief must not find any difficulties to find that place, as it is his very special place and he always comes here almost every night, with Shinichi accompanies him every time. That was about five years ago, when he told him about that, and three years before that incident happened, as Shinichi recalls his memory.

Three years ago, when the war with the Black Organization pulled off, and Ran had been taken as a hostage. Kaito lost his sight forever because of him that didn't protect Ran careful enough. The thief had shielded Ran back there at the laboratory when one of the scientists suddenly shot the container of biohazard chemist. Shinichi could see the explosion clearly from the side of the building where he had cornered the rest of the members. Kuroba had been staying low for almost a year for full recoveries and as well as hiding. With the last two years was spent in searching for the other branch of the organization, and Snake was not found yet until seven months ago, Kaito had stayed with him. That way, his mother and Jii would be fine, he said.

_S__till, S__hinichi can never forgive himself for that_

He shakes off his thought and slowly approaches the man, making sure not to startle him. But then again, he was Kaitou Kid; approached by someone from behind wouldn't startle him in anyway.

"Kuroba..."

The latter doesn't even glance up. He merely smiles. "It's been three years, ne?"

Shinichi slightly nods. "Yeah."

"And..."

"And?"

"Five years since I left." Kaito says as he looks at Shinichi, a sad smile forming on his lips. Shinichi doesn't know what hurts him more, the look on Kuroba's face or the cold air around them. "Kuroba-"

"Aoko doesn't even like waiting." Kaito cuts him off. "Well, who likes it, anyway? But, she was never been patient on waiting. Whether it would be waiting for me on our schooldays or waiting for his father to come back from work. She had always been grumpy by waiting." Shinichi can practically hear laugh in his voice as Kaito continues-

"But there was I, still asking her to wait for me, after all the troubles I had caused her. Heh. I'm the worst of kind, aren't I?"

"..."

Kaito's smile turns bitter. He pulls out a red rose from his right coat pocket, inspecting the whole thing in his mind as he twirls it around between his fingers, his cane resting loyally in his other hand. Shinichi can see the little torn slightly cuts his skin. "I don't know what to do anymore, Shinichi."

The latter suddenly feels so hard to breathe. His heart clenched as his companion calls him by his name. Shinichi opens his mouth, but finds no words to say.

"Do you know why I am still coming here, Shinichi?" Asks Kaito as he glances up to the tower. He merely shakes his head, decides to just hear him out and says nothing. When the detective gives him no sound, Kaito smiles. He bends down to his knees and puts the rose on the ground. The snowflakes continue to fall, Shinichi is worried if the rose will be covered by it.

"'Cause I don't want to forget."

"..."

"Letting go has been painful enough that I barely can stand it anymore. And I-I am afraid of forgetting. I am afraid I will forget how beautiful she looks, how pretty she is when she smiles, how prettier she gets when she's angry, how she looks when she cries. I am afraid I will forget all of that that I can no longer see her, see everything except darkness. So... think I just might be able to keep it in my memory..." then he chuckles bitterly, trying to regain his composure. "As people always say, love is blind, ne?"

Shinichi doesn't dare to look him in the eye again that it hurts too much. "I'm sorry..."

Kaito shakes his head. "Don't. Don't be."

"But if it was not because of me, you couldn't have lost your sight!" Shinichi snaps out, making Kaito jumps a little. He then continues in much softer voice. "I-If I could be there earlier, it would have never happened, Kaito. How could it possibly not my fault?"

"It's not anyone's fault, Shinichi. If anything, it was mine, for not being careful enough in the first place. You said so yourself, there's no logic to help anyone."

"But-"

"Nah, we should get going. Ran-san has waited too long." Kaito cuts him out again before he turns around to take his leaving. Just when he barely passes him, Kaito adds in a very soft voice.

"I can't let anyone I care feel the loss of a loved one because of them anymore. It's the best I could do."


End file.
